A Child's Game
by CloakandDaggerAisha Outlaw
Summary: A lonely girl, unknowingly, calls upon the spirit of a Hogwarts Founder, who acts like an Imaginary friend to her, but he dissapears and she grows up. Now she's 11 and going to Hogworts, but he's back to play. Read and Review! PLEASE?!?
1. Jack in the Box

Cloak*and*Dagger: Ok today my mom and I were channel surfing, when we came across an old movie that we used to watch, Drop Dead Fred. If any of you know this movie then you rock! Anyway my mom went to CVS, and I started watching the movie. After 10-15 minutes I was hit by a hurricane of an idea for a new story. Yes, it is based on Drop Dead Fred, but you don't have to have seen the movie to understand my story. If at anytime I scrap this, then it will be because I'm not sure were it's going, but I can't get it out of my head! So here goes nothing!!!  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rolwing. I, also, do not own one of the main ideas of this story. That belongs to who ever created and produced Drop Dead Fred.  
  
1 A Child's Game  
  
Chapter1: Jack in the Box  
  
Hogwarts School  
  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledor  
  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)  
  
Dear Miss Kyrie,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins September 1. We await your owl no later that July 31.  
  
Yours Sincerely,  
  
Minerva McGonagall  
  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
"I-I'm in," said an astounded Jamie Lea Kyrie. "I'm in!!!!" she yelled to know one in particular, as there weren't many people around to hear it. Jamie had always been a bit of an odd ball, but she had never really expected to be accepted, she had never thought she was magical enough. By an odd ball, I don't mean appearance. No, her appearance was as normal as 11 year olds get. Average height, ebony hair with brown highlights, and hazel eyes. By an odd ball I mean that she didn't really fit in, never had friends, or many at least. It was her personality that drove most people away. One minute she'd be laughing, then she'd be angry, and the next thing you knew she was as stoic as a rock. Most kids that age didn't want a friend that they had to figure out, so they moved on to other people. Except for one girl. Her name was Kattie Smith, and she almost never left Jamie's side. "Do you believe it Kattie?!? This is wonderful!!"  
  
Kattie smiled at her friend's excitement. "I can't wait, either. It's going to be awesome to get away from home for that long!"  
  
"I'm going to tell my mum the second she gets home!"  
  
"Calm down already! How can you be so surprised? Both your parents are magical. I mean look at me, I was worried to death that I wouldn't make it since dad is muggle."  
  
"I just never thought I was good enough, that's all," Jamie said with a shrug.  
  
Kattie rolled her eyes, "You never think you're good enough. I want to know what happened to the arrogant, trouble making Jamie I knew when we were annoying little kids!"  
  
"She grew up," Jamie said with a smile.  
  
"Fine have it your way. I best be off, before mum thinks I've been killed, or worse attacked by Jehovah's Witnesses!"  
  
Jamie laughed at her friends over used, but still rather funny, joke. "I'll see you later then, Kattie!"  
  
"Bye."  
  
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"Mum, guess what! I got the acceptance letter from Hogwarts today!" squealed Jamie.  
  
"Hmmm? Oh, that's great dear," her mother said, rather uninterestedly, over the Daily Prophet.  
  
Jamie looked at her mother, and wondered how she couldn't be excited. 'This has to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. The least she could do was pretend she was interested.' "Um…"  
  
"Yes dear?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Nothing, what?"  
  
"Nothing, Mother."  
  
"That's a good girl. Now run along, it's time for bed young lady."  
  
Jamie, again, glanced at her mother, this time with sad, slowly blinking eyes. "Yes, Mother," she whispered as she walked up the stairs to her room. 'It isn't fair! Dad would have been happy for me!' she thought bitterly. Her father had left the house after fighting with her mum, five years ago, and she hadn't seem him since. It was times like these that she needed comfort, but no one was there. So instead she turned to her closet were she had stored all of her childhood toys. This may seem odd for two reasons, the first being that since her parents had split up she was forced to grow up too fast, and put her toys away for good when she was only 8, the second being that most people don't turn to inanimate objects when they are distraught, but she found a strange comfort in seeing her old toys, and remembering the games she used to play.  
  
She opened the walk-in closet door, and went to the very back, where there was a small cupboard. Within this small cupboard were her oldest toys, things she probably hadn't played with since she was five. Upon opening it, most of the contense spilled out.  
  
"OW! MY FOOT!!" she yelled in pain. When she looked down she found that she had been hit with a Jack in the Box, with tape holding it shut. She looked at it strangely for a few moments, getting the distinct impression that it was important, but for the life of her she couldn't remember why. Slowly she picked it up, and turned the handle a few times, only to be rewarded with it's music box sound.  
  
"LIGHTS OUT JAMIE!!!" her Mother yelled from downstairs.  
  
"Yes, Mother," Jamie yelled back. She quickly put the Jack in the Box on the bay window, changed into her pajamas, and went to bed.  
  
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Sometime around midnight, Jamie woke up to the sound of a music box. She listened intently, searching her room for the source of the sound. Her eyes fell of the Jack in the Box. The handle was turning backwards, by itself, which made the music go backwards. It was eerie music, considering it was Pop Goes the Weasel backwards, and an even eerier sight, the handle turning on its own accord.  
  
Suddenly, from underneath the plastic lid, a tinted green light began to glow. The box began to shake violently, it should have been able to open five times over by now, but the tape was keeping it closed. "Thank God for tape! What ever it is, maybe it will get tired and will stop trying to get out. Then come morning I'll through it out, along with the rest of my old toys," she whispered frantically to herself. Almost as if what ever was inside had heard her, it began to shake even more, and the light began to shine even brighter. Jamie, being thoroughly frightened at this point, hid under her covers, willing it to stop. Then, suddenly, she heard a noise. The, oh so familiar, but most unwelcome, noise of ripping tape.  
  
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Cloak*and*Dagger: So how is it so far????? Hehe, I'm evil. FEAR THE DREADED CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!! Please Review and I'll get the next chapter out ASAP. 


	2. Going... Going... Gone Crazy!

Cloak*and*Dagger: So hi, I'm back, what a surprise. I must say that I'm thoroughly put out by the fact that not a single person has reviewed my fic! But being the authoress that I am, I'm giving you until at least the third chapter to give me feedback. Okie? Okie! Now down to business, just to eliminate confusion, and make it easier for me to write, I'm going to recap the last two three sentences of the last chapter. The last thing I'm going to say before I do the disclaimer is that this story may not become clear until later, so stick with me 'til then, because it may not make much sense now, but later you'll be reading some chapter and it will all click together.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own, in any way, shape or form, the idea that stands behind my fic. That belongs to whoever created and produced Drop Dead Fred. I, also, do not own anything related to the Harry Potter universe. That belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
A Child's Game  
  
Chapter2: Going... Going... Gone Crazy!  
  
Jamie, being thoroughly frightened at this point, hid under her covers, willing it to stop. Then, suddenly, she heard a noise. The oh-so-familiar, but most unwelcome noise of ripping tape. 'I can't cower under my sheets like this, I have to defend myself!' she thought. Finally convincing herself that she could at least last a minute (tops) against what ever it was, she got out of bed, and stood as far away from the Jack in the Box as was physically possible.  
  
It was just as she was making sure that the wall wouldn't move to let her get further away, that the Box burst open. Jamie covered her eyes from the blinding light that was emitted, and once she was sure she could see again she peered cautiously through her fingers. What she saw nearly gave her a heart attack. It was a teenage boy, around 15 or 16, with silvery-white hair, and emerald eyes. He was wearing something that looked like a cross between a combat suit/armor and a robe. A sword was strapped to his hip, and he had an odd amulet hanging from his neck. He looked at her carefully, as if trying to place her.  
  
"James?" he asked, in an accent that was a mix of Welsh and Irish. Jamie's eyes widened in horror; only one person had ever called her James, and he didn't really exist. But he didn't wait for her reply; he went straight into a rant. "Do you know how long I've been in there?!? I have such a neck cramp! I don't appreciate being treated like a piece of spare luggage you know!" He paused, thinking, then went into a completely different line of conversation. "You know, it's been awhile since we've played a game. How about Clue, or monopoly, or... Oo lets play Risk!!" he said while staring into her closet, looking at the board games. Jamie could do nothing but stand where she was, bewildered, trying to figure out who this psychopath was, and how he had gotten in the Jack in the Box. But her silence made this mysterious boy glance at her, and judging by his frown he had seen something he didn't like. "James what happened to you?!? You're all tall, and.... Older looking."  
  
"Who *are* you?" Jamie managed to choke out.  
  
The mystery boy stared at her like she had grown another head. Then, slowly, he asked, "Don't you remember me?" She shook her head. "I must have a worse concept of time than I thought," he muttered to himself. "How could you forget me?? We used to have so much fun together! Playing games, making stuff, getting into trouble, do you remember me now?" he asked looking hopeful. She shook her head again, convinced that this guy belonged in a nut house, or back in the Jack in the Box. He sighed, his shoulders sagged a little, and his brow wrinkled in confusion. "How could this happen?! It hasn't been that long, has it?" He walked closer to her, looked her straight in the eye, and said, "James, it's me, Salazar."  
  
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"I'm telling you exactly what happened, Kattie!" Jamie said, somewhat frantically, over the telephone.  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that someone popped out of one of your old toys last night, and it just happens to be THE Salazar Slytherin?" asked a skeptical Kattie.  
  
"Yes, that's it exactly!"  
  
"I think you're crazy."  
  
"KATTIE!"  
  
"Only joking! Personally, I think it was just the shock from getting accepted that made you hallucinate about a Hogwarts founder. Why you picked Slytherin is beyond me."  
  
"I used to..." Jamie stopped feeling unsure of whether she wanted to share the information, or not.  
  
But Kattie seemed to know anyway, "That's right!! You used to have an imaginary friend named Salazar that only you could see, and whenever something bad would happen, or if you would get in trouble, you'd blame it on him. I never knew you were pretending it was Slytherin, though."  
  
"That makes two of us. Listen the point is he's back, and he shouldn't be!"  
  
"Please, it was probably just a weird dream or something," Kattie tried to explain to her friend calmly. It took quite a bit of convincing, but eventually Jamie admitted that she felt foolish for thinking that it was her imaginary friend.  
  
"Thanks Kattie. I don't know what I would do without you."  
  
"Go crazy, but hey, that's what I'm here for. Hang on a sec... Jamie?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I have to go, Mum needs the phone. I'll talk to you later. Bye!"  
  
"Bye." Jamie hung up the phone, feeling much better then when she had made the call. "Now, what to do today?" she asked to no one, as no one was home.  
  
But her answer came in a Welsh-Irish accent, "We could play Clue!"  
  
"Oh, no!"  
  
"I thought you liked that game," Salazar said confusedly.  
  
"Not the game, *you*!  
  
"Me?"  
  
"You're not real, and you're not supposed to be here!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"To which are you asking?"  
  
"Both."  
  
'I can't believe I'm talking to a figment of my imagination!' "Well you aren't real, because... because... Well if you were you'd be like, a thousand years old!!"  
  
"Would I?"  
  
"I know what you're doing! You're trying to get me to play twenty questions, and before you ask, no, I don't like that game!"  
  
"Well it's worked, hasn't it?"  
  
"What has?"  
  
"You're playing!"  
  
"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!! I'm not a child anymore!!"  
  
He glared at this statement, and then said, resentfully, "Well you should be."  
  
"Listen I don't know what you want, or if you're some sort of sick message from my body telling me that I'm not getting enough rest, but I do know that you have to leave before I go to Hogwarts!"  
  
At this his eyes lit up. "Hogwarts?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Hogwarts."  
  
"I haven't been there in ages!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"No, what?" he asked trying to look innocent.  
  
"No, you can't come with me!" she yelled, then added, "I can't believe I'm arguing with myself over whether or not part of my messed up, over active brain can come with me or not. I must be crazy. Look Salazar, I'm eleven, I'm not a child anymore, and I certainly DON'T need an 'Imaginary Friend'," she said, but he was already gone. "Maybe I'm *NOT* getting enough rest," Jamie squeaked, while walking up the stairs to her room so she could take a nap.  
  
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Cloak*and*Dagger: Review, Review, Review!!!!!!! Remember the next chapter is the last one that I write if I don't get any reviews, oh KK, Amanda? You guys officially don't count on the review-o-meter, because I know you like my work, but please don't let that keep you from reviewing! Domo Tankoo To Shaded Willow aka KK for betaing my fics! Without her I probably would have let my one story account rot, but thanx to her I now have, what? 5-6 stories? Yeah so tankies again KK, and to the rest of you REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. Is He Gone Yet?

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi everyone!!!! Ok so here's the jist, I seriously wasn't going to continue this story, despite my beta's best efforts, but then I got that one magical review. You know the kind I'm talking about, like when you look at the counter and think it's a flame, but when you open it up mythical lights shine from above, and a hundred person chorus breaks into "Hallelujah". THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH EMAELEIGHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You, my friend, are a SAINT.  
  
I would also like to thank Princess Evil, and Lina Inverse the Dramata (I saw you updated, I'll have to punch a hole in my schedule to read it! And you're right, the story Muggle is an awesome one, I found it right around the time I was given yours.)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the general idea of Drop Dead Fred, nor do I own anything related to Harry Potter, got it? Good! ^_^  
  
  
  
Chapter3: Is He Gone Yet?  
  
  
  
After her nap, it appeared as though the boy had disappeared for good, and it stayed that way for the rest of the week. By the weekend Jamie had written the whole thing off as sleep depravation, but later in a moment of panic she threw out the old Jack in the Box, just in case. 'Things are looking up,' she thought enthusiastically. 'No more psycho-boy, all my creepy old toys are gone, and Kattie an I are going to Diagon Alley today!' A few hours later Jamie and Kattie found themselves walking out of Gringotts.  
  
"So where are we off to first?" Jamie asked, while Kattie looked at her list.  
  
"Hmmmm, I can't decide, everything looks so interesting!" Kattie replied, smiling like a five year old in a candy store.  
  
"Let's just go straight down the list."  
  
"Ok, but lets save pets for last. Wouldn't want to be dragging an owl or cat through all of this shopping," Kattie said.  
  
"Deal."  
  
"Ok so first on the list is our uniform."  
  
So the two walked down to Madame Malkin's. Nothing really happened there, except for the purchases of the necessary items of the uniform. After that, they headed for Flourish and Blott's, to by their course books.  
  
"Why are there so many heavy books? I'm mean we're only eleven for goodness sake!" Kattie complained as they headed towards yet another bookshelf. "I don't see why you insist on getting spare books, Jamie, you'll be tied down enough by all of our school work."  
  
"I just want something to read, that's all."  
  
Kattie glanced at the closest book display. "Hey Jamie, how about this "Interpreting your dreams"?"  
  
Jamie stiffened, Kattie simply refused to forget the frantic phone call about Salazar. Kattie glanced at Jamie, and then burst out laughing. "It isn't funny, Kattie!"  
  
"You're right, I'm sorry," she said, still giggling.  
  
After leaving the bookstore they went all over the alley, buying odds and ends, such as a cauldron, glass phials, a telescope, ink, parchment, and brass scales. Jamie panted a bit from have to carry so much, then asked, "What's left?"  
  
"The very best, wands and pets."  
  
"Righto, let's go!"  
  
After much struggling with their large loads they finally got to Olivanders. The shop was old, and dusty. The walls were practically made of shelves, shelves that contained box after box of wands. There was an old man in the corner of the shop, dusting; whom they could only assume was Mr. Olivander.  
  
Kattie was first to be measured, and tried out wands for the better part of an hour, until finally a wand 'chose' her; oak and unicorn hair, 11 and a half inches.  
  
Then it was Jamie's turn. As she was being measured, she could have sworn that she had seen the glint of silver hair through the window. 'No,' she told herself, 'you're just imagining things.' Once Mr. Olivander thought that he had enough measurements, he began to hand wands to her. For about half an hour Jamie waved wands, and was disappointed every time they didn't work. Some had looked very interesting, especially the rosewood one, it sparkled a blood red color in the sun. Mr. Olivander went back into the back of the shop, and pulled out several more boxes. He put the boxes down on the counter, and opened to one on top. 'Nope, not that,' she thought after it didn't work. Somewhere towards the middle of the pile, Mr. Olivander opened a box to reveal a wand as black as night, and when it hit the sun just right it would sparkle in a hypnotic way.  
  
"Ebony and dragon fang, 13 and a quarter inches," Mr. Olivander stated, like he did with every wand.  
  
The second Jamie touched the wand she knew that this was one for her. She didn't know why, it just felt, well…. Right. Indeed it was right, when she waved the wand it produced an image of an amulet. The amulet was quite different. In the center there was a richly colored emerald, and winding around that was an engraved snake. The rest of the amulet was silvery-gold, with an odd incantation on. The image didn't last long though, quickly vanishing into nothingness.  
  
After paying for their wands the two headed to the Magical Menagerie. "So what are going to get?" Kattie asked excitedly.  
  
"I dunno, an owl, maybe a nice little kitten. What about you?"  
  
"I was thinking about something nice and small like a canary, but hey, if all else fails you can never go wrong with an owl." When they walked in, they both went different ways. Kattie towards the birds, and Jamie towards the kittens.  
  
'Wow, there are so many different kinds,' Jamie thought. One kitten stuck out like a sore thumb, though. It was black with purple-ish stripes, and blue eyes. It was also very energetic. She picked it up out of the basket, and started to fawn over it immediately. "Aren't you just a little cutie?" she cooed.  
  
"It is a cute one, looks like it will always want to play. I think this little devil is perfect match for you. That is if you don't mind PLAYING."  
  
Jamie's head shot up like lightning, upon hearing the Welsh-Irish accent that she had thought disappeared for good.  
  
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Cloak*and*Dagger: Ok, I'm so sorry that this chapter is lame and boring, and that I stopped right as we finally got back to Salazar. But I must go, my sister wants to check her email, and I need to eat before I pass out. I bid you all farewell until next time!  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	4. He's Baaaack!

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi everyone!!!!!! Long time no see! I'm sorry about that, you see for a while I kind of slid into this funk, and I stopped updating all of my fics. This morning I was actually going to erase my account, but just for laughs I decided to go through my reviews first. Good thing I did too!!!!! Once again my brain has been thoroughly whacked, adrenalin pumped, and motivated by that angel in disguise Emilia. Were it not for her this story would be vapor-wear. But do not feel useless my readers! ALL OF YOU COUNT!!!!!!!! And starting next chapter I'll be individually responding to your reviews before the story! Yay!!! Instead of deleting this, you all got a new chapter and an added feature! Two added features actually, because I'm now going to start putting quotes at the start of every chapter, in your reviews tell me what you think it's from! Well I've done enough babbling, so on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the general concept of Drop Dead Fred (You should all go out and rent it from your local video source!) Okie? Okie! ^_~  
  
Quote of the.. Uh.. Chapter! Yeah, that's it chapter! : "I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, '.I drank what?'" (For those of you who don't happen to understand the humor in this, let me explain. Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher, who was accused of corruption. They sentenced him to death, by means of drinking hemlock, a poisonous aquatic plant.)  
  
Chapter4: He's Baaaack!!!  
  
Fast as she could Jamie turned around, only to find that no one was there. "If you want to find me, you'll have to look harder than that!" the Welsh- Irish voice practically whispered in her ear. By now Jamie was ready to have a heart attack. Once again she turned around, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be there, and yet somehow wishing that he was. Relief, and disappointment flooded her when she realized that he was nowhere to be found. "What part of 'You'll have to look harder' don't you understand? You used to be so very good at hide-and-go-seek!"  
  
"I'm not a kid anymore," Jamie whispered frantically, feeling like an idiot for talking to someone she couldn't even see.  
  
A growl of frustration, and then, "Yes. You. Are! Eleven is hardly grown up, why do you keep on lying to yourself?!?" The disembodied voice was hardly the gentle sounding Irish breeze it had been a minute ago, now it sounded harsh and demanding. Scared out of her wits Jamie did the only thing she could think of: Run to Kattie.  
  
Kattie was in the front of the shop cooing over a small eagle-owl. The clatter Jamie made was next to mute in the large shop filled with animals of all kinds, but it still made Kattie look up from the bird. She took in her friends' disheveled appearance, and slightly pale face while raising an eyebrow. "What happened? Did the boogieman come after y-" but her questioning was caught short once she noticed the small palm sized kitten that Jamie was holding. "Aaaawwwwwww, isn't it a cutie???" she cooed.  
  
Jamie rolled her eyes at her friend's short attention span, and tried to straighten herself up. After a couple of minutes the two friends made their way out of the shop, Kattie with a large bird cage that had to be at least 100 times the small eagle-owl, and Jamie with a small wicker basket, the tiny kitten inside, fast asleep.  
  
"We have some time to kill, so what do you want to do?" Kattie asked, looking at her watch.  
  
"Why don't we go back to the book store? There was cool book back there, 'Magic Painting Made Easy'."  
  
"You have to be joking me! You already have twice as many books as you need!" Kattie whined.  
  
In the end Jamie won, so they made their way back to Flourish and Blotts. "Come on, I think was over there, in the back," Jamie stated.  
  
Kattie grumbled, but followed anyway. "Do you honestly NEED this book?" she complained.  
  
"Yes," was the simple answer.  
  
Jamie found a shelf in the back that seemed just about right, and began to scan the titles. While she was doing so a boy, with long black hair pulled into a loose ponytail, had walked to the shelf next to them. "Magic Painting Made Easy? No, that's not it," he mumbled to himself.  
  
Jamie looked up, "Did you say Magic Painting Made Easy?"  
  
The boy looked up at her, with large brown eyes, and said "Yeah, why? Do you want it?" He handed her the book.  
  
"Thanks, I was looking for it for a while."  
  
"No problem, but do you think you could help me here?" he asked.  
  
"Sure, what do you need?" Jamie asked.  
  
"I'm looking for a book called 1001 Handy Pranks. Have you seen it?"  
  
"No, I haven't."  
  
He sighed, "Rotten luck I've had with this book. Every time I find it I don't have the money, and when I do have the money, I can't find it. Oh well, my name's Sirius Black by the way." He held out his hand to shake.  
  
"I'm Jamie Kyrie," she said taking his hand. "Are you going into your first year at Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yeah, me and a couple of my friends."  
  
The conversation went on for a couple more minutes until Kattie found them, and joined the talk. All the while a strange electric buzzing started to grow louder and louder, until Jamie asked, "Do either of you hear that?"  
  
"Hear what?" they asked at the same time.  
  
Jamie simply shrugged it off, but little did she know that the buzzing was coming from a very angry teenager sitting on top of one of the shelves; a teenager with emerald eyes, and silver hair, shacking with furry unknown. He shook his head back and forth, slowly, his eyes a blaze with inner fire. "He better stay away from her.. I'll teach him to stay away from her!" He growled furiously. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: So what did you think??? Hehe a jealous Salazar! Sorry I meant to put more of him into this chapter, but it wasn't working out. Never fear though, next chapter will most likely be the train ride to Hogwarts, and trust me in a confined space like that, there will be lots of Salazar! Well until I see you next time, Bye!! Oh and REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	5. A Nightmare Come True

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi!!!!! I know, it's only been a few days since my last update, but I figure I might as well keep the creative juices flowing. That way I get more out faster, and I don't have any time for second thoughts on whether I want to continue or not... I'll be too busy typing! True to my word I will respond to all of my reviewers one by one, from all of my chapters, but first I would like to ask a question. Would any of you care to join a mailing list, telling you when I update? If you would please tell me so at RageCage1138@aol.com, and don't worry if you do give me your screen name, I SWEAR that I won't use it for anything but to tell you that I've updated! I'm telling you this straight out so that you don't think I'm trying to get your screen names so I can send you chain letters. I've proposed this mailing list because I know how annoying it is to have to check all of your favorite listed stories, only to find out that they haven't been updated, and other than that this is for your benefit, so that you know when I'm working on my story. Look at it this way if you really like my story, and you become part of my mailing list, if I ever stop typing or if I'm going too slow then you know where to email me, so you can yell at me and tell me to get up and get writing! Wow, this is a long author's note! Sorry!  
  
Authors Response:  
  
Lina Inverse the Dramata: If you're still reading I'd just like to thank you so very very much! Hehe it will be interesting when Dumbledor finds out, trust me!  
  
Milbo: *smiles* meep is a cool word! Thank you, I'm glad you like my story!!!  
  
Kitana: You love reading about the Founders? Me too, it's just that there aren't many stories about then out there, and if there are I can't find them! I'm afraid Harry and Co. won't be making an appearance, but if I make a sequel you bet your buttons they'll be in it..... Just probably not the way everyone wants them in it, no offence, it's just that I'm not big on 'the good guys'. I guess I just see the Slytherins in different light, I honestly think they aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Oh well, hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Amanda: Hey Mandi!!!!!! You don't mind me calling you Mandi, do you? Anyway thanks for that PEACHY little pep talk, I when I first read it, I really needed it. See ya when you can sign on the Internet again!  
  
Katherine: Founder binge, eh? Could you point out a couple good ones to me, please?  
  
Emilia: You should rent it! It's really funny, but it's old like from the late seventies/early eighties, so you might have trouble finding it. About Salazar, I can't tell you what's the deal with him, but trust me you'll find out later! Oh, and don't worry Jamie and Sirius won't be big on each other soon, certain *pauses* things will be keeping them away from each other. *Grins* Yes Salazar and confined spaces ARE good. You know it's sad, I think my version of Salazar is cute, and I don't think you're supposed to do that in your stories. Oh well. Hey guess what? You're automatically on my mailing list, you see I figure if mailing you gets you to review faster, then I get to send you my lovely little emails whenever I update!!!!! Lucky you!  
  
Quote of the Chapter: Seeing as I'm updating so fast I think I'm gonna stick with my last quote. And just because I'm so nice I'll repeat it for you! "I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, 'I drank what?'"  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Harry Potter universe, nor from Drop Dead Fred. I do, however, claim artistic license with my version of Salazar Slytherin! I DO own Jamie and Kattie, if you ever want to use them in a story (why you would want to is beyond me) please ask me first. I don't take much pride in them, but I would like to know where they are wreaking havoc on the net. *Looks up at everything that has been typed* OH DEAR GOD!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry everyone, I didn't mean to take so long! Well on with the story!  
  
Chapter5: A Nightmare Come True  
  
September 1st came quickly. Jamie couldn't have been happier; she was finally going to Hogwarts! And as for her silver haired stalker, she wasn't all that worried anymore. Ever since the incident in the pet shop she hadn't seen him. She figured he had been found, and taken back to whatever mental hospital he belonged to. 'If he was just a nutcase on a day cruse away from the funny farm, then how is it that he came out of your old Jack in the Box?' that annoying little voice inside her head asked.  
  
'STOP IT! I refuse to believe that he was anything more than a quack who was a couple of cards short of a full deck!' she thought/yelled at herself.  
  
But the impish voice would not relent, 'Testy, testy!' Here it paused, and if it had had a face it probably would have been grinning evilly. 'You miss him don't you?'  
  
'Like a hernia,' she replied flatly.  
  
'Fine have it your way.'  
  
'I will, thanks!'  
  
The car ride to King's Cross was short, for that Jamie was grateful. She quickly got out of the car and helped her mother get her trunk onto a trolley. "Be sure to owl me all of your grades, Jamie. I'll see you at the end of the school year, dear," her mother said, without much feeling.  
  
"Yes Mother," she replied tonelessly, while thinking of several un-nice words she could use to describe her mother.  
  
'Yikes! If your going to think things like that, do it in someone else's head!' the impish mental voice snapped.  
  
'This is my head, and I think about what ever I damn well please!' Jamie yelled. The new argument made her begin to think about the argument she had had with herself earlier. 'If he was just a nutcase on a day cruse away from the funny farm, then how is it that he came out of your old Jack in the Box?' That sentence echoed around in her head for a few seconds, until she couldn't take it any more. "Mother, do you remember if I ever had any imaginary friends?" she asked, knowing perfectly well what the answer was, but she had to go about this slyly.  
  
"No, dear, I don't remember Salazar."  
  
"How did he disappear, again?"  
  
"This is not a conversation that I'm willing to have! The fact is that he's gone, and you're better now." Her mother said shrilly. "Now go on dear, before the train leaves."  
  
'So much for turning to your mother in times of need,' Jamie thought as she wheeled her way through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾.  
  
'Well honestly, how much help did you think Polly was going to be? Did you actually think that she would tell you a way to get rid of Mystery-Boy, just in case he came back?'  
  
'Shut up demon! It was worth a try,' she replied, while walking through the train to find an empty compartment or Kattie. ************************************************************************ Ten minutes later the train started to depart. Kattie and Jamie had found each other, and decided to pick a compartment towards the back of the train. For a few minutes they were both silent, settling themselves down for the long journey to Hogwarts.  
  
"Alright, it's time to fawn over my owl now!" Kattie said enthusiastically.  
  
Jamie smiled slightly, then asked, "What did you name him?"  
  
"Artemis, I just love that name! What about your little kitten?"  
  
Jamie opened the wicker basket, and looked down at the tiny kitten, which at the moment was trying to catch the retreating lid. "I haven't really thought about it, I guess."  
  
"WHAT?!? It's almost been a month, and you still haven't named it??"  
  
"Chill out before you have a heart attack. If you're so hell bent on me naming it why don't you give me a few suggestions?"  
  
"Ok, hmmmm, let's see how about........ Fluffy?"  
  
Jamie gave her a look that said, 'you have to be joking me.'  
  
Kattie laughed, "Ok guess not, why don't you call it...... Trigger?"  
  
"I'm not naming my cat after part of a gun."  
  
"Mortekai." (Author's note: pronounced Mort-a-keye)  
  
Jamie's eyes light up, "Yeah that's it, you're the greatest Kattie. I'll call him Mortekai!"  
  
Kattie looked at her confusedly, "I didn't say anything, well not after you turned down Trigger anyway."  
  
"Well SOMEONE said Mortekai, and if it wasn't you then who-"  
  
"I said it!" replied an over enthusiastic, accented voice. Both Kattie and Jamie turned to look at the compartment, where there stood a boy, around 15 or 16, with silver hair and emerald eyes, clad in a traditional Hogwarts uniform, with an odd silver chain around his neck. Whatever was at the bottom of the chain was covered by the front of his robes.  
  
Jamie and Kattie's mouth's dropped open, but for different reasons. Jamie was shocked. The psychopath went to Hogwarts! Kattie, on the other hand, was stunned that a cute guy who was obviously much older then they were, was talking to them.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here," he asked, pointing at the seat next to Kattie.  
  
"No," Kattie said in voice that one would normally reserve for when one was talking to God, that is if there was a moment one ever talked to God.  
  
"You can see him?!?" Jamie was panicking, 'The loon goes to Hogwarts, this is not good! I mean what if I'm put into whatever house he's in, he'd never leave me alone!'  
  
Kattie gave her one of those looks that practically screamed, 'OF COURSE I CAN SEE THE STUD THAT'S SITTING NEXT TO ME!!'  
  
"Of course she can see me, why wouldn't she, James?" he asked giving her a devilish look.  
  
Kattie looked up, "Do you two know each other?"  
  
"Kattie, THIS is Salazar, you know the kid who popped out of the Jack in the Box," Jamie said, on the verge of a spazz attack.  
  
"You're bad at describing things, Jamie," she turned to Salazar, "She had me thinking you were invisible. So how did you two meet?"  
  
Jamie could do nothing but gape in terror at Salazar, as he plunged into an elaborately made up story, about how they met as result of a freak weasel attack. Kattie was hanging on every word.  
  
'I can't believe that she's believes him!! That has to be the worst story I've ever heard!' Jamie mentally screamed. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: Ok I'm sorry to cut the scene short, and just as we started to get going to, but I have to go, dinner's ready, so I'll continue the train ride later! Before I go I'd like to ask you one thing. Who would you rather have join the compartment Lucius, Severus, or Sirius? Bye! REVIEW! 


	6. A Fool Off His Guard, Could Fall And Fal...

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi all!!!! So how is everyone on this lovely day?? Well I took a nice little break, and now I'm refreshed, so I've decided to write this next part! I hope you all liked the last part, but you see I'll never know if you don't review!!!! I'll cut this author's note short, because the last one was way too long!  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Amanda: Too many commas you say? Well I think I'll take up Mr.Dixon's theory, and be comma crazy, because I'd rather have too many than none at all! Thanks anyway, and I will try to work on it okie? Okie!  
  
Jade and Wendy: Thank You!!!! By the way I took the liberty of checking your profile. I LOVE YOUR STORY!!!!!!!!! It rocks! I haven't finished reading yet, but trust me when I do I'll go and review. Thanks again!  
  
Quote Of The Chapter: The last quote was from a movie called Real Genius. Since no one actually guessed on that I've decided that I'm just going to put my little pearls of wisdom up here, instead of movie quotes. So here goes, Pearl of Wisdom #1: "Abuse, if you slight it will gradually die away; but if you show yourself irritated you will be thought to have deserved it."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Drop Dead Fred, or Harry Potter. However, I do own Jamie, Kattie, and my interpretation of Salazar Slytherin. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME! And if you do all you're gonna get is 23 dollars in pennies. DON'T TAKE MY PENNIES AWAY!!.... Never mind you can have them. You wouldn't believe how annoying 23,000 pennies are.  
  
Chapter6: A Fool Off His Guard, Could Fall And Fall Hard!  
  
Jamie could do nothing but gape in terror at Salazar, as he plunged into an elaborately made up story, about how they met as result of a freak weasel attack. Kattie was hanging on every word.  
  
'I can't believe that she's believes him!! That has to be the worst story I've ever heard!' Jamie mentally screamed.  
  
Once he was done with his story, Jamie looked at Kattie, and said, "Kattie could I talk to you for moment? Alone?"  
  
Kattie raised an eyebrow, "Sure." Thus said they both walked out of the compartment. "So, Jamie, what's up?"  
  
"You don't believe him do you?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Of course I do, it seems legitimate."  
  
"How does a weasel attack seem 'legitimate'? I'm telling you that kid is stalking me!"  
  
"Jamie I don't get what the problem is. If you want I'll trade places with you, I wouldn't mind being stalked by him," Kattie said, giggling with hazy eyes.  
  
Jamie sighed, 'Guess I'll have to fix this problem on my own.'  
  
They returned to the compartment to find Salazar singing quietly to himself: "Oh, I come from a land, From a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam, Where they cut off your ear, If they don't like your face, It's barbarick, But hey, it's home! When the winds from the east, And the Sun to the west, And the sand, And the glass is right, Come on down, Stop on by, Hop a carpet and fly, To another Arabian Night! Arabian Nights, Like Arabian Days, More often than not, But hotter than hot in a lot of good ways, Arabian Nights, With Arabian Moons, A fool off his guard, Could fall and fall hard, Out there on the doons."  
  
Jamie looked at Kattie, who was staring at Salazar. Once she looked up Jamie gave her a look that said, "And you think *I'm* crazy?" Kattie just shook her head and sat back down.  
  
"So who's up for a game of Exploding Snap?" Salazar asked with an odd glint in his eyes, that Jamie couldn't quite place.  
  
Kattie jumped at the opportunity, "I am!"  
  
He grinned one of those I'm-so-hott-it-isn't-funny grins, "What about you James?"  
  
"Yeah, come on Jamie!" Kattie said in a whinny voice.  
  
"Don't side with him!" Jamie looked peeved, but she had been expecting her to do this. It looked like her friend was just a little taken by the crazed boy.  
  
"Haha two against one! You have no choice, you have to play!" Salazar said evilly.  
  
Jamie groaned, but didn't put up fight. While they were playing they talked of Hogwarts. Well, it was more like Salazar told them about Hogwarts and they added their two cents. "What house are you in?" Kattie finally asked him.  
  
"Slytherin," he answered simply.  
  
"That's kinda funny, you having the first name of your house's founder," Kattie said quietly. As she said this Jamie noticed an even odder glint in his eyes than before. Earlier it had only seemed to be the glint of playful fighting, but now it was the kind of glint that made you feel as though you were missing something very important. 'He couldn't actually be Slytherin, could he? That was only a passing guess, but no, he couldn't be, he's a student. Not to mention the fact that Slytherin is DEAD!'  
  
"Just luck I guess," he commented, " but I suppose you'll be disappointed to find out that my last name is Lyther."  
  
Kattie seemed satisfied with that, and continued to talk. Jamie, however, furrowed her brow and thought, 'Lyther? Wait a sec! sLYTHERin! That cheat, he is Slytherin, but how?'  
  
"So what houses are you two hoping for?" he asked quickly, almost as if he knew that Jamie had figured it out, and didn't want to be questioned.  
  
"Well I guess any house would do, as long as it isn't Hufflepuff. I'd just die if they put in me in there!" Kattie said rather quickly. "What about you Jamie?"  
  
Jamie sighed, then said, "I guess that Ravenclaw or Gryffindor would be alright, but I think I'd have a heart attack if they put me in Hufflepuff OR SLYTHERIN," she said that last part rather loudly while looking at Salazar.  
  
"Suit yourself, but you honestly don't know what your missing if you don't make it into Slytherin," he replied.  
  
"Trust me, yes I do." And it was left at that. ************************************************************************ In no time at all they had reached the school. "Leave your stuff here, they'll bring it up for you," Salazar said sounding uncharacteristically serious, but ruining it with a goofy lop-sided grin. They got out of their compartment, and made their way to the closest exit. The cold night air greeted them as they stepped off the train. "I guess this is where I leave you two, have fun making your way across the lake," he said, then added as a whisper to Jamie, "See you at the Slytherin table," before walking away briskly.  
  
Jamie paled, and when Kattie asked what he had said, she refused to tell her. They slowly made their way over to the horde of first years, which were circled around a giant of a man. "Everyone 'ere? Right let's go, then. No more'n four to a boat," he said, leading them to the river's edge, where a small fleet of rowboats awaited them. Jamie and Kattie quickly got into a boat and where shortly accompanied by to two boys.  
  
"Hey, it's you two!" one of the boys commented.  
  
Jamie looked up; it was the boy from the bookshop. "Oh hi,"  
  
"Found that book yet?" Kattie asked.  
  
"Nope, but it's ok now, because I have the human pranklopedia right here. His name is James."  
  
James frowned, "I can talk for myself, Sirius."  
  
Kattie, James, and Sirius started talking, but Jamie, who wasn't feeling very talkative, watched the beautiful scenery go by. Once the castle came into better view, everyone stopped talking and you could here a collective gasp. Hogwarts rose majestically, with its towers and turrets, surrounded by by a forest on one side, which was, in turn, surrounded by tall dark mountains.  
  
The boat ride ended soon enough, and they were then led up to a giant pair of wooden oak doors, which the man knocked on. It was answered by a stern looking witch, with her hair pulled back into an extremely tight, and uncomfortable looking, bun. She led them further into the Entrance Hall, explained the housing system to them, and then told then to wait for a moment so she could make sure everything was ready.  
  
"How do you think they sort you into the houses?" Kattis asked neverously.  
  
"They put a hat on your head," Jamie answered, dimly hoping that was the right answer, as she hadn't really been listening to the question. She had been too busy thinking about what Salazar had said. "Kattie you don't think that they'll put me in Slytherin do you?"  
  
"I'm praying for Slytherin, that way I could get that cutie Salazar to show me around," Kattie giggled, with that hazy look in her eyes again.  
  
Jamie just shook her head at her friend's obvious delirium. After a few minutes they were lead into the Great Hall. Again the collective gasp was heard. Candles were floating several feet above the floor, lighting the Hall, and the ceiling was bewitched to look like the sky outside, which was cloudy with a hint of lighting and thunder.  
  
Professor McGonagall, the witch that had led them in, placed a three-legged stool down in front of the staff table, and on top of the stool she put down an old, and battered wizard's hat. The hall was silent for a moment, then a rip in the seem of the hat opened up, like a mouth, and the hat began to sing: "Back in the days of yore, There surfaced a brilliant four, Holding different values at heart, Hogwarts the magical school they did start, But conflict did arise, Over the prized values, which was of no surprise, Hufflepuff preferred the loyal and just, Someone you could lean on, someone you could trust, Ravenclaw took pleasure in the wise of wit Those who's learning would never quit, Gryffindor liked those who were brave and bold, Those who did what were right regardless of what they were told, Slytherin kept those of slyness and cunning, In a jam you'd find them thinking fast instead running, So where is it that you should be? Please don't think about it yourself, Just put me on and see!"  
  
The hall burst out in a loud applause. "Now, when I call your name, step forward and put the sorting hat on," McGonagall said loudly. "Akerman, Philipe" "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. The names went on for a while, and Jamie only paid attention to the names she recognized such as, "Black, Sirius" who turned out to be a "GRYFFINDOR!" It didn't take long for the Professor to reach her name, as it started with a K. "Kyrie, Jamie" Jamie stiffened, this was it the moment that could prove most crucial if the hat happened to favor the silver haired weirdo. She walked to the stool and sat down, putting the hat on her head, which slipped down over her eyes.  
  
'Hmmmmm,' said a tiny voice in her head, that she assumed must be the hat, 'What an interesting mind, sharp as a bear trap, you learn quickly don't you?'  
  
'I try,' she thought somewhat sarcastically.  
  
'Sarcastic as well.. Hufflepuff is definitely out. You are smart which could do you well in Ravenclaw, and you are brave when you must be which could put you in Gryfffindor. I can't help but notice, though, how sarcastic and cynical you are, and at such a young age, too. You have an over developed sense of revenge, and we could do one of two things with that. We could stomp it out, and pump up your bravery by putting you in Gryffindor, or we could make it grow, and add a little power to back up that temper of your's by putting you in-"  
  
'NO!!!! Not Slytherin!'  
  
'And why not?'  
  
'Because the psycho is there!'  
  
'You're going to let one person stand in your way to greatness? No, I'm sorry but I just couldn't deny you of your destiny.' "SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted.  
  
As Jamie made her way over to the loudly cheering table she felt like she could cry, but quickly pushed that aside, and decided to blame silver-boy. 'It's his fault, he must have paid the hat off, or something!' She sat down next to few of the other first years, who smiled at her, and noticed just a little too late that it was right across from Salazar. He gave her an impish grin, and opened his mouth to say something along the lines of I told you so, but Jamie cut him off with, "Not a word, freak." He closed his mouth, but the grin never left. She watched the rest of the sorting with little interest, noticing that Kattie was giving her one of those 'You lucky devil' looks, and glancing at Salazar every so often.  
  
"Smith, Katherine" Jamie was a nervous wreck at this point, if Kattie didn't make it into Slytherin then she would be left alone with Salazar, and he was so unpredictable who knew what he would do to her! The hat sat of Kattie's head for a few seconds before it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" She walked over to Ravenclaw smiling, once she sat down she looked over at Jamie and with a shrug mouthed, "We still might have classes together."  
  
Jamie sighed in resign, if she was going to enjoy Hogwarts at all she might as well accept the fact that she was in the same house as the Aladdin quoting stalker, with no Kattie to hide behind. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: So what did you think?? Wow it was longer than I intended! Trust me next chapter will be interesting. It will most likely be the lovely dinner conversation that ensues! Well I'll leave now so you can REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye! 


	7. Dinner Conversations.

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi!!!!! I'm sssssoooooooooooooo happy! My last chapter got plenty of nice reviews that made me very bubbly!!! That's why I'm apologizing in advanced. This chapter may seem weird for two reasons: 1) When I get happy I'm just a plain old psycho, and 2) While I'm typing this I'm listening to Alice Cooper's We're All Crazy, which is warped beyond belief!  
  
Author's Response:  
  
cinder: Thank you so very, very much! I really love it when people say stuff like that!  
  
Evie: That's kinda funny, because I thought my summary stunk. Go figure! I am trying to work on chapter length, so hang tight and maybe that chaps will get longer! Oh, and better believe that I'm gonna get Snape in this story!!! I'm not the world's biggest Snape fan, but I do like the thought of a younger Snape!  
  
Emilia: o.0 (that's a little face if you can't tell ^_^') Yeah I think you do win for longest review ever! I have a question for you. Are you a Seer? It's kinda weird, but every time you guess at something, you're right! It's starting to creep me out *Grins* Ok so here goes, I'll try and answer your questions, without giving too much away. You're right Jamie's mother *boo, hiss* did answer too quickly, and did have something to do with Salazar's disappearance, but that's all I'm saying on that subject. You hit the flash backs on the head! Then again that happened in the movie, that's why I'm gonna do them! *Gets pushed over by Salazar* Yes, a weasel attack!!!! *Laughs evilly* *Pauses* You wouldn't believe how many people actually believe that! *Gets pushed over by Cloak*and*Dagger* Sorry, he's pretty hard to control, you should see my room, it looks like something blew up in there, when the only thing that happened was Salazar playing Super Smash Bros. on the N64. *Glares at Salazar* He never gets to play that game again, trust me! Now here's where you really freaked me out, when you guessed that Salazar time-traveled! I don't mind telling you the whole story as I probably won't mention it later. You see Salazar is an avid Robin Williams fan, so he travels to the future to see things like Aladdin, or Fern Gully, and Jamie knows Aladdin because of this. No, sadly Salazar wasn't born in Arabia, but he did often visit. Hehe annoying Godric! Well I should probably stop talking and start typing the new chapter.  
  
Pearl of Wisdom #2: "Fools admire, but men of sense approve."  
  
Disclaimer: Do I HAVE to say it again, because it really hurts to admit that I don't actually own Salazar! FINE THEN BE THAT WAY!!!!!!! *Sniffles* *In a tiny voice says the following* I do not own Harry Potter, or Drop Dead Fred. There, happy?  
  
Chapter7: Dinner Conversations. (This is practically guaranteed to be a short chpt. Sorry!)  
  
"Smith, Katherine" Jamie was a nervous wreck at this point, if Kattie didn't make it into Slytherin then she would be left alone with Salazar, and he was so unpredictable who knew what he would do to her! The hat sat of Kattie's head for a few seconds before it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" She walked over to Ravenclaw smiling, once she sat down she looked over at Jamie and with a shrug mouthed, "We still might have classes together."  
  
As the feast began Jamie sighed in resign, if she was going to enjoy Hogwarts at all she might as well accept the fact that she was in the same house as the Aladdin quoting stalker, with no Kattie to hide behind. As if to reassure herself that it was best to just give in, she looked over at Salazar, who was busy trying to balance a spoon on his nose. 'Forget that! I'll damned if I let this idiot get the better of me!'  
  
No sooner had she finished this thought, than the spoon fell off his nose, due to a light tap on his shoulder. Jamie looked up when she heard the clatter of the spoon, to see Headmaster Dumbledor whisper something to Salazar, who quickly stood up and followed the Professor over to the staff table. Jamie watched them talking, the whole time Dumbledor looked half way between laughing or crying, and Salazar just had that annoying smirk on his face. They both looked over at Jamie, who quickly looked down at her plate. She didn't bother looking up, what good would it do if she couldn't hear them?  
  
Instead she joined in the conversation that most of the first years were having. Salazar came back, his smirk somehow more annoying up close, than it had been when he was farther away. In that small space of time he was gone she had learned a lot from the other first years. Mostly about them, but it was always important to know a bit about people if you intended to make any friends. There weren't many first years, four boys and five girls, but since there numbers were so small it probably meant that they would be close throughout all of school.  
  
"Miss me?" Salazar asked.  
  
"Not in the least," was the flat answer.  
  
He sighed, then said, "I don't get why you keep pushing me away. Most first years would die for the chance to know someone in the higher grades," here he stopped, as if begging her to comment, and just as she opened her mouth to say something he moved on with, "Besides you need me."  
  
Her temper had been getting the better of her when he cut her off, but upon hearing the last statement it was replaced with confusion, "Beg 'pardon?'  
  
He smiled at her slang-ed question, "Look at you! You're eleven, but the way you go on you'd think that you were in your Forties! You're still a kid, act like it!" Jamie had stopped listening though; instead she was talking to two of the first year boys, Lucius and Severus. Salazar shook his head, and got back to eating.  
  
The feast ended too soon for Jamie. After she had stopped listening to Salazar, her night had gone pretty well, and she was becoming good friends with one of the first year girls, Anastasia, or Anne for short. After the feast they were lead to the Slytherin common room by one of the Prefects. It was down in the dungeons, and you would have completely missed it, had you not been looking. The entrance was simply one of the dungeon walls, which one it was, was the tricky part. But if you looked hard enough the correct wall had an S formed on it by some of the monotonous gray-ish green bricks.  
  
The inside of the common room couldn't have been any more different from the outside. It was large and circular, with vaulted ceilings. There was a large crystal candelabra hanging from the ceiling, and with the help of the fire, it lit the entire room. There were small coffee tables, plush silver armchairs, and large comfy looking green sofa everywhere. At the very back of the common room were two staircases; one going up while the other went down.  
  
"The stairs to your right, the ones heading up, are the girls dormitories. The boys are to the left, the stairs heading down," a prefect said mechanically.  
  
The dorm was much like the common room. It was large and circular, with a vaulted ceiling, and crystal candelabra. There were five beds, all were large four posters, two of them had silver drapes, and the other three had green drapes. They were set up in an every other pattern: Green, Silver, Green, Silver, Green. The sheets on the beds were made of silk, but surprisingly warm, although most of the girls didn't notice as they were to busy sleeping. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: Yeah I know, it was lame and short, but it had to be done, trust me! Anyway, what do you think about my version of the Slytherin common room&Dorms? Stay tuned, because next chapter is going to be a lovely one, I promise! *Wink* Now... REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	8. Professor Riddle.

(READ THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!!) Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi everyone! Sorry about the slight delay with this chapter. You see I was typing this the day after the last chapter was posted on my sister's laptop. Well of course I was in the family room, and my sister decided to put Oklahoma on. Well there I was watching the movie, and typing. Needless to say progress was slow. Then it happened. The computer froze, and I didn't have anything saved!!! I was depressed, but I'm better now. The other reason I'm typing this is to let you know that I will not be able to post again until somewhere around the 11th. I'm going on a *grumble, grumble* road trip, against my will. *Sigh* So I guess this is the last time I see you until after I get back. Oh and I added a flashback, but they are formatted weird. You see it as if it is a peak inside a memory, not an actual dream or flashback, so we see it but Jamie may not remember it. I'd also like to say that I'm sorry if this chapter comes off weird, but I'm influenced by the music I listen to, and right now my headphones are playing the soundtrack from the movie Hook. I'll have you know that the Harry Potter soundtrack and the Hook soundtrack were both written by John Williams.  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Jade and Wendy: So you like my story enough to stick with it this far, eh? Well THANK YOU!! I AM ETERNALLY GREATFULL!!!!!! Hehehe you'll have to wait and see what Salazar and Dumbledor were talking about!!! Oh the suspense!!!!!!  
  
Emilia: I don't like Jamie's mother either, but heck I don't anyone is supposed to. Hehe you'll have to wait to find out why he's there, but honestly even if there wasn't a reason do you think Dumbledor could stop him? He helped make the school after all, therefore it is one fourth his. I can just picture Salazar with a giant chainsaw, trying to cut off his fourth of the school. Hehehe so you liked my common room? I'm told that I should be an architect, but that was more of a decorating job, wasn't it? Oh well. Enjoy the chapter!!!!!!  
  
Pearl of Wisdom #3: "If a man deceives me once, shame on him; if twice, shame on me." (^_~ ...That one is my favorite)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Drop Dead Fred or Harry Potter. I'm also sorry to say that this chapter may not be as cool as I originally intended *Dodges as things are thrown at her* Hahaha YOU MISSED ME! *Runs in terror as a mob with pitchforks and torches comes after her*  
  
Chapter8: Professor Riddle.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback Thing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The small light-blue painted room was dark, and in the center of the room was a child, fast asleep. Quietly the wind ruffled the tree branches outside of the window. Suddenly the dim over-head light/nightlight turned on. Slowly, in her sleep, the child rolled onto her back.  
  
Silently, from behind her pillow, a hand appeared, and crept carefully across her pillow. Quick as lightning the hand slapped the girl in the middle of the forehead. Startled she sat up and put her hands to her stinging head.  
  
"I-is anyone there?" the frightened toddler called out. Her only reply was a quiet chuckle, as the nightlight turned back off. Again the wind blew, but this time in the room, even though the bay window was closed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback Thing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie was the first of the girls up. Slowly she got ready, and by the time she was done the other girls had rolled out of bed (Salazar: Literally! They rolled right out of bed, and straight onto the floor.) She quietly walked down to the common room to wait for the other first years. Anne (Anastasia) was the second person to join her, the first being Salazar, who looked as though he had eaten five pounds of pixie stix when he came bouncing up the stairs. After several minutes of him bouncing on the sofa, Jamie was finally annoyed enough to snap, "Why are you always so bloody perky?"  
  
The only thing that he was able to do was grin, before one of the, recently gathered, first years asked, "Jamie, you know him? What's his name?"  
  
Jamie growled in frustration, but Salazar smirked and replied, "I'm Salazar Lyther, 6th year prefect/student teacher."  
  
"Student teacher?" Amelie (a first year girl, her name is pronounced 'Awm-e- lay') asked.  
  
"I'm a genius, you know. There are a lot of things that I know, that even the 7th years haven't learned yet, so you see there are a lot of classes I don't need to take anymore. So whenever I'm not in class I'm helping one of the Professors with their first and second years." He was oo-ed and awe-ed over for a minute, before Jamie grabbed his arm and dragged him to a corner of the common room, muttering, "Gimme a minute," to her friends, and "Come on space cadet," to Salazar.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she growled. "Listen, and listen good, because I'm only going to say this once! Stay away from me! If you keep on hanging around me I swear I'll tell one of the teachers on you!"  
  
"Jamie?" someone asked, placing their hand on her shoulder.  
  
Quickly she turned around to face the owner of the hand. It was Lucius. "We're going down to the Great Hall now."  
  
"Oh, ok, just give one minute to wrap things up with Psycho Boy."  
  
Lucius's face looked blank, and above all confused. "Who? Do you mean Salazar?" He looked behind Jamie, "I don't see him anywhere," he raised an eyebrow bemusedly. "Come on," he said, leading her to the exit, with his hand still on her shoulder. ************************************************************************ Halfway through breakfast the timetables were passed out.  
  
"Awww darn! Defense Against the Dark Arts first!" Severus sighed, somewhat melodramatically.  
  
"Why? What were you hoping for?" Anne asked him.  
  
"Potions, I was pretty good at chemistry back at my muggle day school, I figure this won't be too different. What about you, what did you want first?"  
  
"Transfiguration, I think it sounds cool," Anne replied.  
  
"Charms," Lucius said through a mouthful of toast, "is much better."  
  
"Eww. Swallow then talk," Jamie said giggling.  
  
He finished chewing, then "Better? So what about you? We shared, now it's your turn."  
  
Jamie thought for a moment, and finally came upon, "Astronomy, I love the stars!"  
  
The conversation went on for a while, with some of the other first years sharing, and a couple of the second years telling them what classes were fun, and what teachers to look out for. For example: "You'll have to watch out for Riddle. He's a tough teacher, but at least he knows what he's doing. He can be pretty cool though, you just don't want to get on his bad side, because trust me once you're there you can never come back to his good side."  
  
The conversations were shortly ended by Jamie looking down at her watch, and saying "If we intend on finding our way to class on time, then we had better get going!" ************************************************************************ They arrived without a moment to spare. Quickly they walked in and picked a couple of seats towards to front of the classroom.  
  
"Good day, students. I am Professor Riddle," he said stepping out of a conveniently shadowed corner. He was tall and thin with pale skin, sharp icy blue eyes, and thick black hair. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: Yeah, yeah, yeah it was short, again. I know. But as an added bonus I'm going to give you the summary from Drop Dead Fred. And don't worry, I'll probably end up typing another chapter tonight, or tomorrow, so all is not lost!  
  
Drop Dead Fred: Every kid has an imaginary friend. Only Elizabeth isn't a kid anymore and Drop Dead Fred is anything but imaginary! With a haircut this bad, he has to be real- and his mischief has Elizabeth in big trouble!  
  
I'm not giving you the rest; you'll just have to rent it to find out! 


	9. The Secret Admirer.

Cloak*and*Dagger: It feels good to be back friends! I missed you all so very, very much!!! Sadly enough though, I got distracted on my 'vacation' and ended up starting a new fic, instead of planning this one out. But worry not, I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!!!! And I have a general idea about what I want to happen, so I better get cracking to make up for lost time.  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Dragon Die: I'm glad you like you it. (I personally think it's a piece of crap, but that's what I always say about my work.) So here is the long awaited update.  
  
Emilia: HI!!!!!!!!!! I'm baaaack! You know what I've noticed? We have become pen pals through my fic. (Salazar missed you... a lot) Anyway onto answering your review. I swear to god you're psychic, with the whole Lucius thing, I had been toying with the idea. (I love my Lucius too. I always figured he was kinda like Draco, but a bit more human. So Lucius can make mistakes, and isn't always so properly stuck-up, like with the toast incident.) I won't tell you how she gets rid of him, but what ever it is that she does, it isn't permanent, because yes I am planning a sequel! *Happy Dance* *Cough* Right. The Jamie's father issue gets explained later, towards the end I think. So you like Tom, eh? Me too!!!!!! I love Tom, or used to, I love Salazar now, but Tommy-boy still has a place in my Heart. (You should check out the story 'I Am Lord Voldemort' by Nemesis, that's what made me a Tom fan in the first place. It's good, trust me.) "(Salazar: Literally! They rolled right out of bed, and straight onto the floor.)" You want more Salazar comments? Ok then, I shall have him stand by when I type, so he can say stuff for me to put in. So you think there is a little chemistry between Jamie and Lucius? It could work, but with the way this story is going she's going to be over run by boys. *Gets odd mental image* *Stares off into space* Huh? Sorry! Ah you like my Severus twist. Yes he went to muggle day school, but it was just because his mother wanted him out of the house for a couple hours so she would have time to repair all the broken china. Don't get me wrong, Severus isn't very attached to muggles, but more so than Lucius. Yes Tom is good, Tom is wise (That kinda sounded like a line out of Twister "The Rabbit is good, The Rabbit is wise") He does teach DADA, but sometimes a few OTHER things slip into his lessons. (I mean look, first class of the year is Slytherin, and most of them end up as Death Eaters, so take a wild guess as to what those OTHER things are.) Sorry but Mr. 'Lyther' will not be helping out with the first lesson, *Sniffle, Sniffle* but don't worry he will later! With a reviewer like you how could I not feel special? You should feel special too, because if you hadn't found this story and reviewed, it wouldn't be in existence anymore. It is here because of you! THANK YOU!!!!  
  
Amanda: Hey Rockie! I'm back from my vacai, and at full creative force. I'm glad you like my story, but you have to stop telling me that it's great 'cause it isn't. What I need you to do is give me constructive criticism, tell me what I need to work on! Because my Beta (Danielle Altic) was kicked off line, so I want you to give me feedback, okie? OKIE!  
  
Pearl of Wisdom #4: "Always trust God. And always build your house on high ground." ^_^'  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Drop Dead Fred, or Harry Potter. I do own Jamie and Kattie (who you won't be seeing much of anymore) and my interpretations of Salazar, and JKR's characters as kids, so NYAH!!!!!! (KATE TULLY QUOTE!!) (AND EMILIA QUOTE!!!)  
  
  
  
Chapter9: The secret Admirer.  
  
Professor Riddle's class was interesting, to say the least. The professor himself was kind of like a human version of Garfield, comically cynical, but understanding at the same time. Because the Slytherins were so few in number the class had been doubled up with the Gryffindors, who seemed none too pleased with the arrangement. Professor Riddle didn't seemed pleased either, and took every opportunity he had to take points away from them. By the end of the lesson the Gryffindors were already in the negatives, point wise.  
  
After DADA the day went by somewhat slowly, and without much incident. Nothing happened at all really, until everyone was sitting in the common room, after dinner. The arrangement was simple; Anne, Amelie, Pix Chix, (Her real name was Pixy, but they decided to call her that instead) and Pia all sat in large arm chairs that were facing two sofas. One sofa had Crabbe and Goyle on it, (They weren't really part of the immediate gang) while the other had Severus and Lucius with Jamie right in between the two. It was quite unheard of for first years to take up most of the common room seating, but with someone like Salazar Lyther hanging around just out of sight, no one seemed that eager to tell them to move. So there they sat talking about things like teachers, where they came from, trading jokes, and such. They would have talked well into the night if it hadn't been for Mortekai, (Salazar: You remember Mortekai right? The little fuzzball with eyes.) who started walking around (Salazar: and around and around) the sofa, with something in its mouth.  
  
"Come here Mortekai. What's this?" Jamie cooed to him when she took a piece of parchment out of his mouth. It was a letter, an odd letter. Jamie read it over twice, paling more and more by the second, until she was white and looking rather ill. Salazar, who was still hovering just out of view, noticed the sickly look, and walked over to her in concern, putting his hand on her forehead to check for fever. She quickly batted his hand away, still wanting nothing to do with him, to which he only smiled at.  
  
Lucius, looking quite a bit concerned now as well, finally asked what everyone was dieing to know, "What did it say?" Silently Jamie handed the letter over.  
  
It said the following:  
  
Dearest Maiden, It has been but a day, and already I have noticed your beauty as it passes me by in the halls. I should love to get to know this charm and wonder, but I am to shy to come out and that it is I who should send such and endearing letter. I suppose I shall merely have to admire from afar, until I have enough courage to confront you personally with my never-ending wonder.  
  
Yours Truly, The Spy.  
  
The note was passed from hand to hand until it reached Salazar, who promptly tore it to little pieces when no one was looking. In no mood to talk everyone went off to bed, trying to comfort Jamie who know felt as though she wasn't safe going anywhere alone. Once she voiced this several of the others agreed, especially boys who felt it was their duty to make sure that she was safe. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
The next few days were a living hell for Jamie. A note from The Spy came just about every few hours, and by the end of the week Jamie was a nervous wreck. By the weekend the letters had grown to such outrageous numbers that Jamie had collapsed, crying into Lucius's shoulder, who, over the top of her head, said to the others, especially Salazar, (Who was busy glaring at him for the moment) "We have to figure out who's sending these damned letters, so we can get him to knock it off. This is ridiculous, the bastard's sent Jamie over the edge," he was now talking as though Jamie wasn't there, and in truth she probably couldn't hear them anyway, "Did you see her at breakfast this morning? Her hands were shaking so bad it was amazing that anything made it to her mouth!"  
  
"Truth be told," Severus added, "I've noticed that she isn't eating much anyway. It has to stop."  
  
"Maybe a teacher could help us," Pix Chix said hopefully.  
  
"Yeah, but which Professor should we go to? And how many would be willing to help? This isn't exactly against the rules what The Spy is doing," Anne stated.  
  
"Look at her, Anne! She's crying for God's sake!" Lucius half yelled, while still try to gat Jamie to calm down. "We have to do SOMETHING. I don't think I could sit here anymore while this-this FREAK harasses her."  
  
"We should go to the Head of House," Severus suggested.  
  
And visit him they did. Once Professor Riddle saw Jamie, pale, crying, and clinging to Lucius for support, he swore up and down that he would do his best to help. He even went so far as to ask for one of the letters to see if he could match the handwriting some of the homework pages that he had collected, and then asked if they could come down in their spare time to help him. With a bit of renewed hope the gang went back to the common room to start on some homework. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Cloak*and*Dagger: Ok so that is the end of chapter 9, but I'm so nice that I'm giving you a bonus. It's called A Peak into the Journal of Salazar, or something along those lines. If you like it then I'll continue to put an entry at the end of every chapter, heck it might even get it's own run-off story area. Who knows? Well here you go!  
  
Chapter9.5: A Peek Into Salazar's Journal. P.S. Just so you know, I always thought that Hogwarts had a laundry room, and that it wasn't the elves that did it.  
  
'September something or other.  
  
I am in charge of the laundry in our dorm. I like my work. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. And a feeling involvement with the rest of the dorm. And time alone without anyone else, which is also nice, sometimes.  
  
I like sorting the clothes-lights, darks, in betweens. I like setting the dials-hot, cold, rinse, time, heat. These are choices that I can understand and make with decisive skill. I still haven't figured out the new stereo, but washers and dryers I can handle. The bell dings-you pull out the warm fluffy clothes, take them to the nearest table, sort and fold them into neat piles. I especially like it when there is lots of static electricity, and you hang sock all over your body and they will stick there. (One of my roommates caught me doing this once and gave me THAT LOOK. You can't always explain everything you do to everybody, you know.)  
  
When I'm finished I have a sense of accomplishment. A sense of competence. I am good at doing the laundry. At least that. And it's a religious experience, you know. Water, earth, fire- polarities of wet and dry, hot and cold, dirty and clean. The great cycles-round and round-beginning and end- Alpha and Omega amen. I am in touch with the GREAT SOMETHING-OR-OTHER. For a moment life is tidy and has meaning. But then again......  
  
The washing machine died last week. Guess I over loaded it with towels. And the load got all lumped up on one side during the spin cycle. So it did this incredible herky-jerky, lurching dance across the floor and blew itself up. I thought it was coming for me. One minute it was a living thing in the throes of a seizure, and the next minute a cold white box full of partially digested towels with froth around its mouth, because I guess I must have fed it too much soap, too. Five minutes later the dryer died as well. Like a couple of elderly folk at a nursing home who follow one another quickly in death, so closely are they entwined.  
  
It was Saturday afternoon, and all the towels in the house were wet, and all my shorts and socks were wet, and now what? Knowing full well that if you wanted one of those repair guys you have to stay home for 36 hours straight and have your banker standing by with a certified check or else they won't set foot in your house, and I haven't got time for that. So it's the Laundromat in Hogsmeade.  
  
Now I haven't spent a Saturday night in the Laundromat since the 50's. What you miss by not going to the Laundromats anymore are things like seeing other people's clothes and overhearing conversations you'd never hear anywhere else. I watched and old lady sort out a lot of sexy black underwear and wondered if it was hers or not. And heard a college kid explain to his friend how to get puke off a suede jacket.  
  
Sitting there waiting, I contemplated the detergent box. I use cheer. I like the idea of a happy wash. Sitting there late at night, leaning against the dryer for warmth, I got to brooding about the meaning of life and started reading the stuff on the Cheer box. Amazing. It contains ingredients to lift dirt from our clothes, and soften water. Also, agents to protect washer parts and improve processing, small quantities of stuff to reduce wrinkling and prevent fabric yellowing, plus whiteners, colorant, and perfume. No kidding. All this for less than a nickel an ounce. It's biodegradable and works best in cold water-ecologically sound. A miracle in a box.  
  
Sitting there watching the laundry go around in the dryer, I thought about the round world of hygiene. We've made a lot of progress, you know. We used to think disease was an act of God. Then we figured out it was a product of human ignorance, so we've been cleaning up our act-literally-ever since. We've been getting the excrement off our hands and clothes and bodies and food and houses.  
  
If only the scientific experts could come up with something to get it out of our minds. One cup of Fixit Frizzle that will lift the dirt from our lives, soften our hardness, protect our inner parts, improve our processing, reduce our yellowing and wrinkling, improve our natural color, and make us sweet and good.  
  
Don't try Cheer, by the way. I tasted it. It's awful. (But my tongue is clean now.)  
  
SALAZAR SLYTHERIN ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: Ok that's it for now. I might have another one up by tomorrow, who knows. Well tell me what you think!!!!! REVIEW, PLEASE!!!!!!! *Sniffle, Sob* 


	10. The Spy is Caught..... And Attacked?

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi ho everyone Kermit THE Frog here *Blinks* No wait.... I'm not Kermit. DAMN MUPPET FLASHBACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Coughs uncomfortably* Uh, sorry. Anyway here is the next chapter. I hope you like it!  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Sophie W.: I'm very pleased to know that you found it funny enough to laugh, and as per your request here is the next chapter!  
  
Emilia: Yeah I think you did just break the longest review record. *Stares at review* Geez where do I begin to answer? Hehe at the beginning of course! Silly Aishy! Oh I don't mind you calling me Aisha by the way (It was my original pen name, the Cloak*and*Dagger didn't get added until around March of this year.) Yeah I'm normally sad at seeing sequels as well, but this one will pick up years after the first one ended, like in Harry's time. INSANITY! Hmmmm, you know I'm not sure if Tom knows about the time travel or not, he has a slippery mind and you never really know what he's thinking. All I know is that he sure as hell is interested in Salazar. I didn't like the letter personally, I was having trouble writing it, and once I read it over I had to have someone tear it up, it was that bad. Naturally Salazar volunteered to destroy it ^_^. Hehe I think Salazar is jealous of Lucius- (Salazar: I AM NOT!!!! *mumbles*)- and the whole age thing, well once you get to be as old as Salazar- (S.S.: HEY!!!! I am NOT old. I'm mean do old fogies look sixteen? I think not!)- age doesn't really matter. Ah, the amazing Journal entry. You won't believe how hard it is to get the journal of a wizard unnoticed. I think he doesn't know, but one can never tell with Salazar, (Is it just me or did that sound like it came out of Whiney the Pooh? "One can never tell with bees.") Anyway, I'm doing another entry at the end of this chapter. I hope you like it, enjoy!  
  
Rockie: Thank you, and I will try to work on it. Most of it is from typing fast, and when I proofread I do see the mistakes, it's just that sometimes my computer goes wacky and won't let me fix it without destroying the text around the mistake. I will try to get better though. I hope you like this chapter. Oh and about your email, I don't think anyone could beat Emilia in longest review so please spare yourself the time, because knowing you the review will consist of 1,000 L's or something. ^_^' Hehe sowy (That's my baby voice by the by, not a mistake... bet you didn't know that I had a baby voice. It's just so un-.. me.) I had to say it. Well I catch you later Rockie. PEACE! P.S.- Yeah I did get Pia from where you think I did. Plus I like the name!  
  
Pearl of Wisdom #5: "For of all the sad words of tongue or pen the saddest are: What might have been."- I lied earlier. THIS is my favorite pearl! ^_~  
  
Chapter10: The Spy Is Caught...And Attacked?  
  
Every single moment of spare time, including meals and weekends, Severus, Lucius, and Salazar spent helping Professor Riddle. Their hard work was finally paid off in mid October. They had found a match, a Gryffindor second year named Steven Peter Yavits, and not a moment too soon. The letters had grown to numbers somewhere in the three hundreds, and Jamie was so paranoid about being attacked or something that she had to be dragged from class to class by both Lucius and Severus.  
  
The day the match was found was a gray cloudy day, which practically screamed trouble. The three boys silently made their way to Professor Riddle's classroom. Once they were there they began the laborious task of sifting through homework papers to find similar handwriting, or, as Professor Riddle suggested, similar initials. It was Salazar who found the rat, as he affectionately dubbed it.  
  
"Finally," Severus sighed, "we can stop worrying."  
  
"Not exactly," Professor Riddle cut in, "you see we've only just found him. What has to be done next I shall take care of myself. Thank you for your help boys, and I'll give.. 30 points to Slytherin. Now I'm sure you all have places to be, so off you now."  
  
"Professor, what exactly are you going to do about him?" Lucius asked before leaving.  
  
"I believe some point deductions are order, as well as a hefty amount of detention slips," at this he grinned evilly, thoroughly spooking everyone, but Salazar who asked, "Can I help?" with an odd glint in his eye.  
  
Twenty minutes later found everyone in the common room, listening to Lucius and Severus who telling them that they had found The Spy. Later they would hunt down Salazar and ask what he did when he found that 'Dirty Bastard' as Lucius so eloquently put it. But with slightly glazed emerald eyes Salazar would say nothing, just smile in an eccentric and frightening way. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
The next few days passed without much incident. (Salazar: Only the lovely harassing of a group of 4 Griffindors, take a wild guess as to who I'm talking about!) Nothing interesting happened at all, really, until Halloween. That's when it all started.  
  
The Halloween feast was overflowing with candy and delicious foods. The Great Hall was alive with orange, red, and black colored pixies (Who kept on attacking the bats for some reason) and large Jack-O-Lanterns that would talk to you if you came anywhere near it. Needless to say the Hall was quite loud, but nothing could drown out the piercing scream that came from the Entrance Hall. Everyone grew silent and then started to whisper. A few of the older students, namely Salazar and a few Prefects, stood up to take a look at what happened, but they were quickly shooed back into the Great Hall by Professor Riddle.  
  
Telling the students not to panic Dumbledor, McGonagal, and Flitwick went out to investigate. They returned an hour or so later with grave news.  
  
"A student," Dumbledor said, "by the name of Steven Yavits, was just attacked. By who or what we do not know. In light of such danger I believe it best that all Prefects escort their houses back to their common rooms. Classes will be postponed until further notice." And with that the students were led out of the hall.  
  
Back in the common room Salazar was telling everyone what he had seen. "One hell of a bloody mess. He wasn't dead though, broken in a few places yes, but not dead. There was a note as well. It said something like: Don't sing about what you don't know, Don't dance with what isn't yours, Or you shall tango with Death. And it wasn't at all so who knows who wrote it. Personally I have no clue what it meant, but who ever did it meant business. I just hope that I'm on this mystery guys good side." There was a long pause, as everyone tried to take in what had just been said. The silence and foreboding mood that had just settled over the young Slytherins was ruined, though, by, "Let's play Clue!" voiced by a suddenly enthusiastic Salazar. Jamie rolled her eyes, it didn't matter how bad a situation could be, Psycho-boy would always what to play Clue. Not very many people took him up on the offer either, most just wanting to go to bed.  
  
Silently Jamie walked into the Girls Dorm, alone as the girls were still busy fawning over Salazar. She quickly got ready for bed, and was just about to fall asleep when an owl, one she had never seen before, dropped a letter on her forehead. The owl hooted in a proud way, and Jamie stroked its feathers in a silent thanks. It was an odd owl, pitch black with silver eyes and little white spots on its chest. The owl flew away as Jamie opened the letter.  
  
Inside was a poem like thing. It read:  
  
To rid yourself of,  
  
The Trouble within,  
  
The one who plagues your thoughts,  
  
All you have to do,  
  
Is find the clue,  
  
In Sacramento Fauts.  
  
'What?' Jamie thought, 'That doesn't make any sense. Is Fauts even a word? Foo! I'll leave it for later, there aren't any classes tomorrow. Maybe Lucius knows what it means.' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Cloak*and*Dagger: It was lame I know. So review and here is Salazar's journal!  
  
  
  
Chapter10.5: A Peek into Salazar's Journal.  
  
In the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging. If a tree is too large to be felled with an ax, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. (Can't lay my hands on the article, but I swear I read it.) Woodsmen with special powers creep up on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at the top of their lungs. They continue this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works.  
  
Ah, those poor naïve innocents. Such quaintly charming habits of the jungle. Screaming at trees, indeed. How primitive. Too bad they don't have the advantages of modern technology and the scientific mind.  
  
Me? I yell at my roommate. And I yell at the telephone and the lawn mower. And yell at the TV and the newspaper and my neighbors. I've even been known to shake my fists and yell at the sky at times.  
  
Man next door yells at his car a lot. And this summer I heard him yell at a stepladder for most of an afternoon. We modern, urban, educated folks yell at traffic and umpires and bills and banks and machines-especially machines. Machines and relatives get most of the yelling.  
  
Don't know what good it does. Machines and things just sit there. Even kicking it doesn't always help. As for people, well, the Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ P.S.- This was from the time Salazar spent in a Muggle community. He told me it was a living hell. Anyway Review please!!!!!!! 


	11. A Little Research

Cloak*and*Dagger: *Takes a deep breath* I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!!!! It has been over a month since I last updated! I never intended to let it stay so long. You see what happened was that I started a story for an anime that I watch and I got caught up in that, and then school started, so everything was really hectic! But guess what? I'm baaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And ready for action! I come back to all you happy smiling people with more ideas, more insanity, and most importantly more SALAZAR!!!!!!!!!!!! (Salazar: *Smirks* You know you love me!) Alright I won't hold you much longer, I'd just like to say that I'm working on chapter size, so I think that this should be a bit longer than my others. Oh yes, and I'm not sure if there's gonna be a Salazar journal entry at the end of the chapter (they're hard to write) but who knows, I do feel bad about the time delay, so I just might put one up! On with the story!  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Sophie W.: Sorry Sophie, but I'm afraid that I've never even been to California. I live in New York, and trust me, that's not as cool as it sounds. Wish I lived in Sacramento though. I think it would be cool. I'm so glad you reviewed when you did, because it really showed me how far behind I am. Thanks!  
  
Rockie: How goes it Rockie? Thank you, but you make this story sound like it was written by JK herself, and it isn't that good. Hey this is gonna sound dumb, but what's Justin's last name? It's been bothering me, cause I realized that I don't know it! Well I best get typing, I have a lot to make up for!  
  
Emilia: *Gets all teary eyed, and tries not to cry* I'M SOOOO SORRY!!!! You always talk about how good a writer I am, but here I am taking my (dare I say it?) fans for granted by not writing! I feel like dirt! (It could be the music though. My emotions change with my music, and right now I'm listening to some band called Dream Theater. This song is half depressing half mysterious, it's like a rock opera!) *Smiles* The sequel is going to be fun, but I need to figure out the plot first. I'm halfway done with that! The way I figure it, this story will last only a few more chapters, and then I'll start the sequel. *Sigh* I missed this story! Salazar got rather pissed when I stopped writing, he missed you. I'm not sure if I'll be putting a journal at the end of this, but I feel really guilty right now, so I just might. Well I won't keep from the story any longer!  
  
Disclaimer: No. Just no.  
  
Pearl of Wisdom#6: "Be calm when arguing; for fierceness makes error a fault, and truth a discourtesy."  
  
Chapter11: A Little Research.  
  
The next morning Jamie was awoken rather early by Mortakai, who had chosen to sit on top of her nose (no doubt Salazar had something to do with it.) So as quietly as she could, Jamie got up, got dressed and went down into the common room. There wasn't a soul done there, just the green tint fire, and Clue, which seemed to have been abandoned mid-game. Having nothing better to do, she took out a book to read, but upon opening it the piece of paper that had been owled to her fell onto her lap. She had no time to contemplate it however, because at that very moment a very bedraggled and skimpily dressed Salazar walked into the common room. Jamie stared at him for a minute. He wasn't wearing anything but a pair of boxers and like always had his amulet around his neck, and for a minute Jamie forgot that she was supposed to hate him. He had well defined abs, but shoulders that managed to look slim and muscular at the same time. It was odd, he was hot with his normal baggy clothes on, but without them, his looks increased ten- fold. But Jamie, being as stubborn as she was, pushed all those thoughts out of her head, and quickly looked away.  
  
Salazar, however, didn't seem to have any problem with being seen in his current 'just-rolled-out-of-bed' state, and smirked slightly at her discomfort. "Clue?" he asked her.  
  
For a moment Jamie thought that he was referring to the note she had received, until she noticed that he was pointing at the game board. "Give it a rest already! Don't you ever get tired of playing that game?"  
  
"Not really. It's a mystery, and I love mysteries. I'm good at solving them too." He smiled (not that he ever stopped) "Besides it's better than reading whatever *this* is," he said while quickly snatching her book. "What's this?" He asked when the little mystery poem fell into his hand. Quickly he read it, his eyes widening in something that almost resembled fear. But that was quickly replaced by anger, something that looked most dangerous on his face. "Where did you get this?" He demanded harshly, grabbing hold of her shoulders.  
  
Jamie was truly scared. One minute he had been a crazed silver haired boy, and the next somebody who seemed ready to kill her over a piece of paper.  
  
"Where did you get it?!" He asked again, this time shaking her slightly.  
  
"I don't know," she stammered frightened, "Someone owled it to me!" Jamie was on the verge of tear, and wasn't even all that sure why. It wasn't like he was hurting her, but the look in his eyes just set something off inside her that simply screamed at her to run away before something terrible happened. A few tears slipped free from her eyes.  
  
Salazar's shoulders sagged a bit, while he used his thumb to wipe away her tears. He hadn't meant to scare her or make her cry. All he had wanted to know was where the paper had come from, or who had given it to her, but she obviously didn't know. But his small gesture of comfort only seemed to frighten her more, because she began shaking violently. "Why do I always let my temper do this to me?" Salazar muttered darkly to himself. All his attempts at calming her down failed miserably, and in a last ditch effort he grabbed her in a hug, and began stroking her back (It's been clinically proven that is gesture actually does calm people down. Wish someone would do that to me whenever I get upset!)  
  
Too shocked to move at the sudden movement Jamie just stood there, trying to figure out what had just happened. He had gone from normal him, to him in rage, to-to-to, well whatever it was that he was now. Was it affectionate? 'No,' Jamie quickly dismissed the idea, 'he just doesn't want me to freak out.... too late for that I guess.' It didn't take too long for her to calm down, and Salazar eventually let her go, but refused to give her the paper back.  
  
"Why not? It *is* mine after all!" She declared angrily.  
  
"Because I said so! Nothing good can come from this!" Salazar said matching, if not exceeding, her tone of voice.  
  
"But-"  
  
"NO!" He cut her off. "Listen, you don't need this, you don't even know what it is! It's dangerous, I'm only trying to help!"  
  
"Dangerous for who? You or me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"I'm not having this conversation! This isn't something you'd understand, so just forget you ever had the paper, alright?" This was the most her had ever yelled in over two decades.  
  
"NO! It's my paper, I want it back!" Jamie made a quick grab for it, but Salazar caught both her wrists in one hand. He glared at her, clearly showing that he wasn't pleased at being disobeyed.  
  
"Just drop it," he said quietly releasing her wrists, and walking back towards the boys' dorm, leaving a confused Jamie in his wake. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: Sorry, that just felt like a good place to stop. Now I'm not sure what will happen next chapter, but I do know that the story is starting to get towards the end. So keep your eyes open for more chapters, and the Sequel. Now onto Salazar's Journal.  
  
Chapter11.5: A Peek Into Salazar's Journal.  
  
Always wanted a cuckoo clock. A big baroque German job with all kinds of carved foobaz and a little bird that leaps out once an hour and hollers an existential comment about life. So I got one. For my best friend, who also happens to live in the same house with me. See, the way this deal works is that she usually doesn't really like what I give her for Christmas, anyway, and I usually end up with it in the end, so I figured I might as well start out by giving him something I want in the first place, so when I get it back I can be truly grateful. He gets the thought; I get the gift. I know it's wicked, but it's realistic and practical. (And don't get high-minded about this, as if you would never think of doing such a thing. The hell you say. I've been around. I know what I know.)  
  
Anyway, I wanted an authentic antique cuckoo clock. But they cost a bundle. And this store had new ones-overstocked-a special cheap price-hot deal. So I bought one. There were two messages written in small print on the carton, which I missed reading. "Made in South Korea" was one. And "Some Assembly Required" was the other.  
  
The carton produced five plastic bags of miscellaneous parts. And an ersatz Bavarian alpine goatherd hut marked "genuine simulated wood." And to top it off, a plastic deer head that looked like Bambi's mother. I put it all together with no parts left over, thank you, and hung it on the wall. Pulled down the weights, pushed the pendulum, and stepped back. It ticked and tocked in a comforting sort of way. Never before had such an enterprise gone quite so well for me. The damned thing actually worked!  
  
The hour struck. The little door opened. The little bird did not come out. But from deep inside it's little hole came a raspy, muffled 'cukaa, cukaa, cukaa." Three "cukaas"? That's it? That's all? But the hands of the clock said noon.  
  
I peered deep into the innards of the Bavarian alpine goatherd hut of simulated wood. There was the bird. Using an ice pick and a chopstick, I tried to pry the creature forth. It seemed loose. I reset the clock to three. The clock ticked and tocked then clanged. The door was flung open. No bird. Out of the darkness at the back of the hut came "cuck" but no "oo'- not even "aa."  
  
Applying the principle of "if it won't move, force it," I resorted to a rubber mallet and a coat hanger, followed by a vigorous shaking. Reset the clock. Hours struck. Door opened. Silence.  
  
Close inspection revealed a small corpse with a spring around its neck, lying on its side. Not many people have murdered a cuckoo-clock bird, but I had done it. I could see Christmas morning: "Here, Rowena, a cuckoo clock. For you. The bird is dead."  
  
And I did. I gave her the clock. And I told her the story. And she laughed. She kept the clock, too, dead bird and all, for a while.  
  
The clock and its bird are long gone from castle now. And Christmas has come and gone many times as well. But the story gets told every year when we gather with friends in December. They laugh. And Rowena looks at me and grins and I grin back. She reminds me that the real cuckoo bird in the deal was not the critter inside the clock. I remember.  
  
And me. Well, I still don't have a cuckoo clock of my own. But I have kept something. It is the memory of the Christmas message written on the packing carton. It said, "Some Assembly Is Required." To assemble the best that is within you and give it away. And to assemble with those you love and rekindle joy. Cuckoo to you, old bird, and Merry Christmas wherever you are.  
  
SALAZAR SLYTHERIN  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Cloak*and*Dagger: Well that's all, catch you later! 


	12. An Accidental End

Cloak*and*Dagger: Hi ho everyone!!! I was sitting here at my computer, wearing a pair of jeans and two separate shirts, listening to the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, and eating out of a family sized tub of Cool Whip, when I decided that I should write this! Lucky you! ^_^; I'm hyper!!!!!!!! Ok now I meant to write sooner but I had caught a cold, and whatever I would have written would have been total drivel. Ok on with the story now!  
  
Author's Response:  
  
Savannah: I'm sorry it was so long between the chapters, but I have a rather busy life, and I'm doing the best I can. I'm glad you like this story! Yay, I'm original! Please don't give up on me, I'll alert the public if I were ever to stop writing, but trust me it isn't likely to happen, because Emilia would kill me if I ever stopped. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Emilia: *Twitch* Man that's a long review! Oh boy, I think my response is going to end up being bigger than my chapter! Oh well, here goes! "Aww! No matter how long you could take, this would still be the best Salazar fic I've ever (or ever will) read and it kicks ass!!!" *Wide eyed* REALLY?!? I feel faint! Emilia you make me so happy! ^_^ Since you're such a good reviewer I think I'll let you in on a secret. For a while I've been toying with a story idea. I think you'll like it. Basically it would be a what if fic. Ready? Here it is: What if the four founders (as teenagers of course) suddenly found themselves in the Weasley's house during the summer before 5th year. Sound interesting?? I'm not sure I if I want to do this yet. I was also toying with the idea of turning this into a challenge. *Sigh* I just don't know. Oh right, back to your review. Hehehe oh yes Salazar missed you terribly. I would hug him for you, but I don't think it would be the same coming from me, not to mention the large possibility that he might not let go until I swear that I'll play Kingdom Hearts with him (I just got PlayStation2!) Oh yes, I know cats sleep wherever they want, I have 4 cats. The sweetest one always wants to sleep on my face, but the problem is she weighs 13 pounds! Yes I quite enjoyed the shirtless Salazar as well. The amulet? I'd tell, but then what kind of authoress would I be? It's very important though. *Smiles* Yes it would be very hilarious if Jamie fell for him, but not in this story. *Smirks* My choice of wording shall leave you to think over the possibilities. ^_^ I agree, Salazar isn't very much fun when he's angry. I was going for dangerous, but I suppose I'm just not any good at writing intense scenes. Oh well. "I so agree about the hug thing! My mother used to rock back and forth while hugging me, and that ... that's just annoying! It's a hug, not a freaking dance!" *Laughs hysterically* Y'know I really don't know where it was proven, but I remember seeing it in an article somewhere. Salazar does have reading glasses they're very cute. They're small and square-ish, he looks so hot with them on! "I can just picture Harry's face if he were to find out about that - 'Salazar Slytherin - Hogwarts founder - Powerful Wizard - Murderer or Poor, Defenceless Cuckoo-Clock Birds'... Although they're not totally defenceless in some respects." *Laughs* I think I'm going to have to put that in the sequel! (With your permission of course!) Sorry Emilia, but I'm afraid that impaling Gryffindor was not the result of a temper fit (although that doesn't mean he wasn't impaled at all.) On the contrary, your logic makes perfect sense.. to me anyway. People never quite thought that my logic made sense, either. When I write those journal entries the thesaurus and dictionary are my best friends! I don't think I could pull those off without them. Yes I love that sentence too, if you look at it hard enough it's an oxy-moron. I often think too soon. I hate it when that happens, because just when I think I'm ok, I go flying off a hill, or something in my basement explodes.. Again. Trust me, you went beyond your limit. Thank you soooooo much! Although I think I may have to be a bad girl and cut this out to be that last chapter, because I really want to start the sequel! Well have fun!  
  
Disclaimer: Still don't own them, but I do like to claim artistic license over my version of Salazar Slytherin.  
  
Pearl of Wisdom #Uh- I lost count!: "People in general will much better bear being told of their vices or crimes than of their little failings or weaknesses."  
  
Chapter12: The Accidental End.  
  
Jamie spent the rest of the morning in the common room, avoiding everyone's questioning gaze by pretending to read a book. For a while she thought that her friends were buying it, until Lucius sat down next to her on the sofa. "Listen Jamie, as interesting as I'm sure that book must be upside-down.." Lucius trailed off once Jamie began to blush with embarrassment.  
  
Severus sat down on the other side of Jamie. "What's up J-Girl?" He asked, using his little pet name for her.  
  
Slightly miffed at the nickname, Jamie shut the book and put it down. "I'm confused," she started slowly, "I thinking that... maybe you two could help me figure something out?"  
  
Severus and Lucius looked at each other quickly, nodded, and then said, "Anything," simultaneously.  
  
"Good," Jamie sighed, and then began to tell them about the note that was owled to her, and what had happened earlier that morning between her and Salazar.  
  
"Weird," Lucius commented, referring to Salazar's reaction. No one had ever seen him loose him cool calm, if slightly eccentric, composure, and it seemed odd to him that Salazar would yell at Jamie.  
  
"Do you remember what the note said?" Severus questioned, adding, "Every bit helps."  
  
Jamie screwed her face up in concentration. "Er- It was something like: To rid yourself of, The Trouble within, The one who plagues your thoughts, All you have to do, Is find the clue, In Sacramento Fauts."  
  
Lucius seemed to look thoughtful, but Severus, on the other hand, flat out said, "That makes no sense!"  
  
"Thank you for your help Mr. Let's Scream Out The Painfully Obvious!" Jamie replied sarcastically, lunging at Severus.  
  
Lucius caught her before she even touched him, and with one arm held her wrists, and the other her waist. "Calm down now, children," Lucius said with amusement apparent in his voice and eyes.  
  
"Let go of me!" Jamie hissed viciously.  
  
"I think I've read that poem in book before," he said, completely ignoring her attempts to get him to let her go.  
  
"Where?" Severus asked.  
  
"I have a book, a biography on the four founders-"  
  
"Any time you feel like letting the lady go Lucius," came a whispery Welsh- Irish voice.  
  
Quickly they all turned around, and came upon the sight of Salazar, clad in something that looked like a cross between a combat suit/armor and a robe, with a sword strapped to his hip, and, like always, he had his amulet on. He narrowed his emerald eyes at Lucius, particularly where his hand was resting on Jamie's hip, until he let go of her. "Up for a game of Clue you three?" He asked, twirling the game board around like a basketball.  
  
"I really don't-" Jamie began, but Lucius and Severus both covered her mouth.  
  
"We'd be delighted," Severus said smoothly.  
  
"Great I'll go set it up!" Salazar's face lit up in childish delight.  
  
"What was that for?" Jamie hissed once Salazar was out of hearing range.  
  
"This could help us out," Lucius replied. "Besides," he said smirking, "I know how much you just love that game." Jamie just glared at him. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
"So who's dealing the cards?" Severus asked, once the game had been set up.  
  
"I will," Jamie said, still pouting slightly. Slowly she shuffled the cards, then dealt them out.  
  
"Hey, what's this?" Severus queried.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jamie and Salazar asked.  
  
"How are supposed to play with these cards?" Lucius asked. "They don't make sense, I don't even think that these are words!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Jamie asked, but once she looked at her own cards she understood. Instead on The Study or Candlestick it said things like Kcitseldnac or Yduts Eht. "Everything's backwards!"  
  
They all looked at Salazar, who hardly went anywhere without the game, only to find that he looked supremely confused. "Don't look at me, I haven't a clue as to what happened to it," he said, chuckling nervously for what appeared to be no reason at all. "I think I'll have to give you all a raincheck on that game, until I've got this thing back to normal." And with that he picked up the game and left.  
  
"Tell that was weird," Jamie whispered.  
  
"That was weird," Lucius and Severus said at the same time. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
Later that night, while everyone was at dinner, the three sat in the girl dormitory, thinking over everything that had happened.  
  
"Alright, so first you get this poem from an anonymous sender, then Salazar gets all huffy and takes it away. After that we go to play clue, but everything was backwards. It just doesn't make enough sense, like we're missing a few pieces to the puzzle here," Severus thought out-loud.  
  
"Damn! I just wish Salazar would go away, he's just trouble with legs!" Jamie yelled.  
  
"Wait! Say that again!" Lucius said, eyes alight.  
  
"He's trouble with legs?" Jamie repeated.  
  
"Salazar, backwards, but what about Sacramento Fauts?" He started whispering to himself.  
  
"Mind letting us in on this?" Severus asked his friend.  
  
Lucius sighed, "It simple the whole 'trouble within' and 'one who plagues your thoughts' is about Salazar, then the poem goes on to talk about Clue. Well we found Clue, and all the clues in Clue were backwards. I just don't understand the Sacramento Fauts thing."  
  
Suddenly something in Jamie's head clicked. "Sacramento Fauts? That's it! The amulet around his neck says Sacramento Fauts on it, only it's backwards!"  
  
"And you would know this how?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"It's kind of hard to miss a six inch diameter piece of silver-gold, when it's hanging in your face because you're being hugged," Jamie could have laughed at the faces they were making. Severus who had a look of Big- Brotherly protection on, and Lucius who looked as though he'd kill the next person to touch Jamie.  
  
"He hugged you?" Severus asked in silky, but dangerous tone.  
  
"Yeah this morning," Jamie replied getting nervous.  
  
"You didn't mention that earlier," Lucius said in voice that made Severus' seem like sandpaper.  
  
"I didn't think that it was relevant."  
  
At this both boys narrowed their eyes, but Severus was the first to say what they were thinking. "What else did you think irrelevant, and please start from the beginning."  
  
Jamie, feeling that the conversation had taken a turn for the worse, said, "I think I'm going to catch a bite to eat before the food's completely gone," and started to stand until Lucius put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to sit back down. Feeling utterly trapped by her own friends, Jamie began to panic, she didn't want to talk anymore, and had just started wishing that they would go away, when Lucius began to put a bit of pressure on her shoulders to let her know that they were still waiting.  
  
Looking up from her lap, tears in her eyes, Jamie whispered, "If I tell you, you won't take me back, will you?"  
  
Severus narrowed his eyes a fraction further, while Lucius asked, "Take you back where, love?"  
  
"The doctor's," she said uneasily hoping that wouldn't ask further.  
  
But they wouldn't give up that easily. "What kind of doctor?" Severus asked in a soft tone.  
  
Jamie hesitated until she felt Lucius give her a tiny shake, "A physiatrist," she said cringing as if saying the word gave her pain.  
  
"Don't worry, love, we wouldn't dream of sending you anywhere you don't want to go," Lucius said reassuringly.  
  
With eyes full of childish fear and innocence, she told them all about her childhood, right up to when her father left, and her mother trapped Salazar in the Jack-in-the-Box. Once she was finished, Jamie looked up into the eyes of the two boys, while chewing slightly on her lower lip. They seemed to be thinking, whatever it was about was a mystery to her, as long as she didn't have to go back. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
After much convincing and words of honor, Lucius and Severus got Jamie to go to bed, but it wasn't a restful night, and next day found them all in the common room at six in the morning. To the boys Jamie still looked liked the child she had suppressed for so many years. Several hours of uneasy silence later, the three found themselves in front of a game board yet again.  
  
In an effort to get Jamie to talk again, Lucius asked, "How would you pronounce that backwards anyway?"  
  
Salazar, who was rather close by and had heard this, jumped up immediately. "What are doing?" he hissed at Lucius.  
  
But Jamie, who seemed to have not noticed Salazar at all, replied, "Stuaf Otnemarcas."  
  
Salazar howled as if his own sword had impaled him. Jamie's eyes went wide, as if just realizing what she had done. Quickly she looked over to where Salazar was standing.  
  
It was the most amazing (and horrible) thing she and ever seen. There stood Salazar enveloped in the same tinted green light that had freed him from the old toy. But this time everything was different; he seemed to be fading right before her very eyes.  
  
"Don't go," Jamie whispered like a lost five year old. Sure she had been annoyed by him, and even freaked out at times, but she hadn't wanted him to truly leave, after all he had been her best friend when she had been a little kid.  
  
With sad emerald eyes and a sardonic smile that didn't look right on his face, Salazar just said, "Crimson tears, and crystal blood, that's just the way it goes love, that's just the way it goes."  
  
Crying like never before Jamie dove to hug Salazar, and buried her face into his shoulder, until he had faded completely. Lucius walked up to her offering a shoulder to cry on, which she graciously took.  
  
"I'm sorry Jamie. It's my fault, I shouldn't have said anything," Lucius said sounding miserable.  
  
Jamie didn't say anything for a long time, just cried, but after a while, through her tears, she began to sing the only thing that came to mind.  
  
"One last time,  
  
We let down today,  
  
One last time,  
  
Until we fade away,  
  
One last tiiiiiime,  
  
We faaaaaade away!"  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cloak*and*Dagger: And so ends A Child's Game. I hope you all liked it as much I did, and still do. It would be much appreciated if you reviewed, and hopefully I'll see you all in the sequel.  
  
Chapter12.5: A Peek Into Salazar's Journal  
  
I should tell you a rule. It is not my rule, necessarily. It came from a very grumpy-looking man at a holiday office party. A man coming down with a full-blown case of Scrooge-itis. He had just unwrapped his dinky little present from under the office tree. In tones of amused sorrow he said to nobody inparticular:  
  
"You know, it's not true that what counts is the thought and not the gift. It just isn't true. My mother was pulling my leg on that one. I have collected so much gift-wrapped trash over the years from people who copped out and hurriedly bought a little plastic cheapie to give under the protective flag of good thoughts. I tell you, it is the gift that counts. Or, rather, people who think good thoughts give good gifts. It ought to be a rule-the Brass Rule of Gift Exchange."  
  
And he stomped off towards a garbage can carrying his little gift as if it were a dead roach.  
  
Well, maybe so. It's a kind of harsh judgment, and a little close for comfort. But the spirit of the season has been clear for a long time. God, who, it is said, started all of this, cared enough to send the very best. On more than one occasion. And Wise Men did not come bearing tacky knickknacks. Even old Santa, when he's making his list, is checking it twice. And the Angels came bringing Good News, which was not about a half- price sale.  
  
I do know what I want someone to give me for Christmas. I've known since I was twenty. Wind-up mechanical toys that make noises and go round and round and do funny things. No batteries. Toys that need me to help them out from time to time. The old-fashioned painted tin ones that I had as a child. That's what I want. Nobody believes me. It's what I want, I tell you.  
  
Well, okay, that's close, but not quite exactly it. It's delight and simplicity that I want. Foolishness and fantasy and noise. Angels and miracles and wonder and innocence and magic. That's closer to what I want.  
  
It's harder to talk about, but what I really, really, *really* want for Christmas is just this:  
  
I want to be five years old again for an hour.  
  
I want to laugh a lot and cry a lot.  
  
I want to be picked up and rocked to sleep in someone's arms, and carried up to bed just one more time.  
  
I know what I really want for Christmas.  
  
I want my childhood back.  
  
Nobody is going to give me that. I might give at least the memory of it to myself if I try. I know it doesn't make sense, but since when is Christmas about sense, anyway? It is about a child, of long ago and far away, and it is about the child of now. In you and me. Waiting behind the door of our hearts for practical, unrealistic, simpleminded, and terribly vulnerable to joy. A child who does not need or want or understand gifts of socks or potholders.  
  
The Brass Rule is true.  
  
SALAZAR SLYTHERIN  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ **************************************************************************** *** !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
And so ends 'A Child's Game". A story of things that one can never have back, no matter how hard they try. Once that child-like innocence is gone, it will never return. You can grow up and play your games of life, but none shall ever be as sweet or as sad as A Child's Game. 


End file.
